Jan 01, 2013

The Daily Mail's 'Big Fat' storm in a teacup

The Daily Mail is often warning us about the "death of free speech" and has been known to worry about whether Britain is becoming "the censorship capital of the world".

But that doesn't stop the Daily Mail callling for more censorship when it suits.

Today, the Mail is complaining about Channel 4's 'Big Fat Quiz of the Year', hosted by Jimmy Carr and featuring TV presenter Jonathan Ross and comedians Jack Whitehall and James Corden, which was shown after the watershed:

The Daily Mail, which has helpfully reproduced many of the jokes from the show for its own readers who might otherwise have been oblivious, writes:

"A primetime Channel 4 quiz in which drunken comedians made obscene jokes about the Queen has outraged viewers."

It's hard to imagine anybody tuning in didn't know exactly what to expect from the likes of Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall. But the Mail still manages to find a campaign group willing to say the programme is "proof that we need a clean-up of television" (rather than just switching it off, or changing channel).

"The Big Fat Quiz Of 2012, which featured countless vile sexual jokes, was broadcast on Sunday only seconds after the 9pm watershed."